Computer Issues

Ben · Feb 28, 2008

Arg i'm getting driven crazy... I had my computer stop working was failing to boot so anyways i had a spare power supply hooked it up and the computer booted, but when i tried to hook everything up and shut it down normally the computer wouldn't boot up again...
I tried testing the new PSU and it appeared to have died (paperclip shorting the green and black wires on the motherboard connector) so i figured this new backup power supply I had was just barely had the wattage my comp needed so it must have been killed by me booting the computer and the previous one had been providing enough voltage, but just died... so anyways i just got another power supply which should be able to power the computer easily and it won't boot... I'm thinking now its actually the motherboard that is half dead and just failing to boot alot of the time. In any case i plan to switch out the MB tomorrow which is a pain in the arse, but i dunno anything else i can do.

andysetra · Feb 28, 2008

Computers *are* a pain in the arse. Yet I keep coming back for more torment. I've developed it to the point where it's easy money to diagnose and fix someone's computer...though with software problems I usually need google to help suggest fixes

. Hardware is a cinch though. KVM, plus a clean workbench, good tools, spare test components, a good weller iron, multimeter, and some tunes and I can work all day

recovery · Feb 29, 2008

The last time I had to swap round PSUs because the old one seemed not to be working. It killed the new one. That one came out of my PC. So we had two broken PCs until I could afford to pay for a new PSU.

But since the computer was bought of a local person, we gave it back to him. It was his problem now. I think he said it was something to do with the motherboard.

Other the years, the last two motherboards that have died on me and failed to boot were easily sussed. Just take a look and some black component with its own heat sink melted itself off the board. My guess it is a voltage regulator. As it must of had some high current going through it for that to happen. But wouldn't the PSU have that?

Maybe it was some transistor that switched power on to parts of the board? I dunno.
My guess, if it were the motherboard was that some component has blown and is short-circuiting your PSU. Maybe causing the PSU's form of internal Fuse to blow. But that is a guess.

But either way I'll avoid putting another PSU in it. Just to stop the wastage.

skinnypuppy · Feb 29, 2008

There are simple testers that will verify the correct operation of a power supply. Mine cost me USD 15 at a computer show, and it's up-to-date enough to test both 20 and 24 pin motherboard connectors.

If one of the low-power connections is bad (e.g. 5V-standby) then replacing the PS should fix the problem. If the main 3.3V, 5V or 12V is gone, then I suspect the Mboard and replace both (or scrap the machine).

Ben · Mar 1, 2008

It ended up being a bad motherboard... Though at least one power supply did die when i hooked it up... Sad thing is i suspect that the only thing wrong with the MB is its ability to start the boot up process since it did boot once when it hadn't been working (which is why i thought it was the psu.
I'm wondering if the MB was killing power supplies or if my backup power supply simply didn't have enough wattage and that killed it (wondering if the original one i had in the comp is actually still good). Anyways switched in a new MB and all is good now

. Would have replied to this thread earlier, but i wasn't online as much as i only had my laptop.

Mr Alex · Mar 2, 2008

If your PSU doesn't have enough wattage it will die?

Spirit · Mar 2, 2008

Alex, it won't die but it will either make the computer crash constantly, or not boot at all.

It is imperative to get a good PSU. Remember that the PSU is responsible for keeping everything in your computer running smoothly, and choosing a cheap brand is not smart.

Another important component is the Uninterruptible power supply, this component is often overlooked but it really shouldn't be.

Anyway, what is the wattage of the power supply and what components are you running off it? This will help diagnose the problem quicker.

Ben · Mar 2, 2008

This issue was the MB... the power supply that died was a cheap one and it wouldn't surprise me if it died from too much power trying to be drawn. However the computer did boot once on it which made me think that my original psu died and then cheap one i put in died from too much wattage after i put it in...

Turned out to not be the psu though and was the MB.

Mr Alex · Mar 2, 2008

Ima get me a 600W FSP, Awesome PSU brand.

Hawh!

Spirit · Mar 3, 2008

Mr Alex said:
Ima get me a 600W FSP, Awesome PSU brand.

Hawh!

Most of the time you will find unless you have two or three smoking graphics cards and ten hard drives, you won't need a 600W power supply.

I have a 550W PSU, everything is overclocked, has five hard drives running off it (totalling 1.4TB), has a single 8600GT and can happily run two 8600GTs.

Even a rack won't usually draw more than 800 watts.

Jon · Mar 3, 2008

You're better off to "overpower" because it's less work for the power supply, and it may operate more efficiently as a result.

mm3 · Mar 3, 2008

Remember, it is always better to have a more powerful energy source than a low one, it's basic electronics. It's worse to starve a device for power than to overload it with energy. Having an insufficient power supply can lead to serious overheating problems; I've recently been there myself.

I had to upgrade from a 250w power supply in a mid-level (when it was bought, anyway, it has since been turned into a server) Compaq machine. After totally overhauling it, with a 500w PSU, Exhaust turbines, huge fans (set up perfectly for maximum airflow) all kept this thing cool. The 500w wasn't starving any of the parts inside the computer anymore, and everything is running hunky dory.

So in short, here's the tip: It's better to OD on a PSU than it is to starve the computer with a weak one.

Spirit · Mar 4, 2008

Yes I know, but if you buy a massive PSU and run hardly anything off it, there isn't much point, is there? All I'm saying is that you should get the PSU that's right for your setup, not the top shelf one.

Going top shelf isn't always a good thing.

mm3 · Mar 4, 2008

But of course. The 500w seemed fit, and maybe just a little extra for a little more peripherals.